Accuracy in archery can be improved by addition of stabilizing devices to bows to improve the balance and to reduce torque, shock, and vibration otherwise occurring when an arrow is shot. For bows used in hunting, small size, minimal weight, and low noise are distinct additional advantages.
Another aspect of archery as it applies to hunting is the tracking and recovery of arrows and game. Generally, a spool of string is attached to the bow and one end of the string attached to the arrow. As the arrow flies, the string spools out. If the arrow misses the intended target, the string may be followed to retrieve the arrow. If the arrow hits the intended target, the string may be followed to retrieve the game. Simplicity of construction and ease of use are advantages in a string tracker used in hunting.
Various bow stabilizer and tracker structures are known in the background art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,608 to Masterfield shows an inertial archery bow stabilizer and vibration dampener having a stud rigidly embedded in the archery bow and an energy-dissipating rod fixed to the stud and projecting forwardly of the stud. The rod is received within an encapsulating sealed cylinder having an internal chamber filled with a viscous fluid in which the rod is disposed. At its outer end, the cylinder is provided with an external stud to which the archer may affix a selected stabilizing weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,327 to Saunders discloses a two-stage resiliently mounted stabilizer in which the first stage has a first housing resiliently mounted to a pedestal by use of a flat resilient washer and a tubular resilient member within the housing. The second stage of resilient mounting of the stabilizer includes a pair of tubular resilient members, one being disposed in the first housing and the second being disposed in a second housing. A second flat washer separates the two housings and a connecting member is used to connect the second and third tubular members and to tighten them together as well as to tighten the flat washer in a resilient fashion, to allow the second housing to move with respect to the first housing. Additional weights can be attached to the second housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,356 to Pike et al. discloses an archery bow stabilizer and tracker having first and second threadably connectable body members, the second member being utilized with a removable bushing to allow use of a variety of standard archery tracking cords. An additional weight may be afforded through the use of a threaded extension member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,602 to Mizek discloses a bow stabilizer having a hollow body which defines a chamber, an end plug sealably secured to the hollow body, another end plug sealably secured to an opposite end, and at least one counterweight which is adjustable along a longitudinal axis of the hollow body to balance the archery bow. The chamber of the hollow body is partially filled with granular solids.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,022 to Leven discloses an apparatus for use with an archery bow stabilizer comprising a resilient elastomeric member, a housing having an open end, means for mounting the elastomeric member in the housing so that an end of the member extends from the housing, means for coupling the apparatus to an archery stabilizer arm at one end, and a stabilizer weight at the opposite end for providing an angularly flexible connection of selected resilience. A weight support arm for an archery bow stabilizer comprises an elongate tubular housing, coupling means for securing the stabilizer to an archery bow, and damping means disposed in the housing in a relaxed position for providing reduction of vibration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,009 to Thompson et al. discloses a compound bow anti-vibration and -noise device having a fluid-filled tube mounted horizontally to the bow body, having a cylinder mounted within the tube, and having a tuning rod or wire mounted within the cylinder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,731 to Webster teaches an archery bow stabilizer that comprises a set of four rods or arms which extend from an attachment block, which block is attachable to a standard stabilizer attachment fitting on an archery bow. The attachment block defines a common intersection for each pair of arms, thereby providing a simple resolution of the forces involved, and provides for each of the four arms to extend into one of the four quadrants defined by the longitudinal and lateral axes of the bow. The outer tip of each of the stabilizing arms or rods is downwardly disposed. The downwardly disposed arms include removably adjustable masses at their tips, which also serve to lower the common center of mass of the bow and stabilizer assembly to a point approximating the hand grip of the bow.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,527 to Olsen et al. teaches a combination archery bow stabilizer and string tracker mounting adapter having a telescopic capability to raise or lower the string tracker. The string tracker is mounted to a 360-degree rotatable arm. The adapter and rotatable arm are capable of adjustment for the needs of the individual archer or archery bow to which it is mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,257 to Walk shows a multi-chamber stabilizer with an elongate housing having a plurality of separate internal chambers suitable for containing damping material or damping devices, which may be of different types.